Reanimated as Death's Bane

A secret organization

Inside the portal, it felt like time slowed down. When Pete tried moving, he was locked in place, he felt like he was in thick gel.

The Dashkyr's eyes widened beside him, it was confused too, discovering its movements were restricted. Then a voice spoke, it didn't come from a particular direction, it was everywhere, like wind through caves.

"You seek escape from chains unseen. Answer true, and freedom is yours. Fail, and fall to endless night. Two trials for two souls."

They both had questions, but couldn't move their lips to make a sound, everything seemed too slow, except for the voice.

Then it spoke again, with a riddle that would decide their fate "I create paths where none exist, with folds and creases, I persist. In the hands of the lost, I light the way, a silent guide through night and day. What am I?"

Pete wondered how he was going to answer such a question without talking. He had gotten used to the movement situation around here, but he didn't lose hope. He turned towards the Dashkyr, hoping to figure out a way to answer the riddle that held their fate.

But it already blurted out, “A compass! It points the way!”

That was when Pete noticed his movements didn't feel like eternity anymore, and the Dashkyr had given an answer.

Although Pete had a different answer, the one the Dashkyr gave seemed reasonable, but the voice didn't respond. “How long has it been? Why hasn't it responded?” The Dashkyr muttered looking around what seemed to be a white area, with no walls or obstruction, just stretched as far as the eye could see.

“I think you're wrong.” Pete said, “That's why it has ignored us, we have two trials, it would be best if we thought about it together.”

Immediately Pete finished his speech, the alien opened its mouth again. "A sta..!"

Before it could finish the statement, Pete's fist was already in the air, and it landed on the Dashkyr's jaw. “Shut up!” Pete snapped.

It was like only he had the thought of cooperation, but he wasn't going to let his chance slide because of that. “A map,” He said firmly. “ It's a map.”

Then there was that silence again after Pete spoke. Had he blown it? He was nervous, his palms became sweaty, he thought he had the answer.

Then the Dashkyr glared at him with a grin, about to say something, but its attention was caught by the space shifting in front of them.

The white room had twisted into the air and they appeared to be on an island close to the shore.

When the alien saw the water, it bolted towards it instantly, burying its head below the surface as it drank away. Pete sighed looking at it, and decided to take a little tour around the island.

As he looked around, contemplating where to start. A slender figure appeared behind him, a female figure in a sleek armored suit, masked from head to toe. It wasn't like that of the guards, the design was a mix of light and dark blue colors, with a black star on the chest area.

She gestured silently for him to follow her, then turned without sparing him a glance.

“Wait, who are you?” Pete asked, after getting no response he added another. “What's your name?” But there was still no response. “How is this supposed to work if you won't talk to me?”

“Talking only makes the journey harder. And I thought you came with a friend?” She asked in a mechanical-pitched voice.

That's when Pete remembered, the Dashkyr was probably having a good time and it forgot itself.

“Give me a second, I'll be right back,” Pete said. He dashed towards the alien, which still had its head buried underwater, until a hand pulled it out.

“Have you forgotten why we are here,” Pete said, gesturing to the figure in the distance. “That's our guide, and you would have missed it.”

The Dashkyr was frustrated for being interrupted, but it wasn't for no reason, it pushed itself up, then followed Pete over to the figure who waited patiently for them.

The Dashkyr had asked some questions, but Pete responded, telling it she won't speak, only guide them.

After a while, they finally stopped in front of a large rock, but before one of them voiced their questions, the rock's surface slid open like a door, and a large floating gadget landed before them.

It was designed like a sleek speedboat, with space for five passengers, and two rocket engines on each side.

The guardian stepped into it and Pete exchanged glances with the Dashkyr, from their expression it was clear they hadn't seen anything like it. “Get in already.” She gestured, lifting her hand from the side, while the other rested on the steering wheel.

It carried them over the water, floating effortlessly as the engine hummed. The guardian was busy tapping away on a screen attached to the boat, but her reaction showed she wasn't getting what she wanted.

Soon, another island was getting into view, and the other one they came from was gone. Pete seemed happy, knowing he was getting closer to freedom, but it couldn't be said for the guide, because she instantly sped up the moment the island came into view, like she had lost it.

After covering a distance, she stiffened for a second, then adjusted the lens on her helmet. Ahead there was a fire on the island, armored figures smashed objects and blasted holes in buildings, the same guards that chased down Pete, they had found their way here.

“We won't be able to make it,” she muttered, “Hang on.” Then she tapped a button that covered the open part of the hoverboat with reinforced glass.

Going to their secret hideout was her plan, but she couldn't risk being followed. Air gliders left the island, circling them, then guards flying with jet boots used their ice ability, hurling spears from the sea, and forming ice barriers to stop them.

The speed of the hoverboat increased by two, but it couldn't be compared to the rocketing guards chasing them.

The guardian flipped a lid and tapped on a red button and the boat was thrust forward instantly, gaping the rocketing guards, but then a blast of green energy hit them from above, sending the boat into the water.

It was the gliders above, they had them on radar and were built for speed too. Compared with the pace the boat was going they were already doomed.

As the boat hovered under the surface, the guardian reached over to the tablet, but another blast of energy knocked the vessel over, cracking the glass on impact and sending it into a spin.

They had to find a way out or this would be it. The end for all of them. The guardian had used up every means available to get rid of the chasers except one, her ability. The one thing that could blow her identity, but now they were in a troublesome situation.

If she didn't try it would mean accepting the doom before it came. Pete and the Dashkyr were strapped to their seats with belts. But that didn't help the situation right now, from above the gliders had surrounded them.

“Don't move.” The guardian said, opening the layer above them and raising her hands in surrender, she had to make the decision. A few seconds passed, then the guards on rocket boots approached their hoverboat to restrain them.

“Raaaahhh!!”

In a swift motion, the guardian swung her hands down. At the same time, a large wave about a hundred feet high rose, knocking the guards into the water, and when it was about to wreck their vessel, she controlled it, hiding under the wave, while she sped underwater.

As they dove into the sea, it took a while before she could locate the dome disguised as a rock, which turned out to be their hideout.

Inside the figures acknowledged her presence with nods, but one came up to her. “I suppose you are already aware of what has happened, that's why you brought them down here.” She nodded.

“Good, get them out of here, and you need to leave too. There's no negotiation this time; it's too dangerous.”

She turned to the man, about to protest but sighed instead. She led them into a room that had rows of triangular-shaped objects, with a hole wide enough for three humans to pass through.

“These are teleporters, we use them for quicker traveling. So, state your location and I'll enter the coordinates that will take you there.” She said gesturing to a teleporter that was swirling with white energy.

“I can go anywhere with this?” Pete thought. It was unbelievable to him; he was actually about to use one of those teleporters he had heard people talk about.

‘So that means I can just go back to the academy,’ he was finally free, but another thing worried him, Dave. ‘I can't leave him to rot there, what if they turn him into a ring bull to entertain themselves, or worse?’

Pete was deeply concerned about Dave's survival, but there was one thing he always wanted to do. To see his mom after the city was attacked, the last time he saw her, she was at the hospital, and she urged him to make a life at the academy.

“Can you take me to Manchik City?" he asked. The guardian nodded, then turned to the Dashkyr. “What about you?”

The alien hesitated a moment, then glanced at Pete. He had that lonely look in his eyes, like someone who had lost everything but still had hope.

“I'm with the kid.” It said, Pete's eyes widened in disbelief, he asked the Dashkyr again, and it confirmed its answer, leaving him in shock. Did the alien have a plan? Or did it just feel like following Pete?

The guardian fiddled on a screen that popped up from the side of the teleporter, then gestured for them to go through.

After they stepped through and the portal closed, the guardian took off her helmet, then shapeshifted into a smaller figure, a teenager, if Pete were here, he would recognize her. They had met sometime ago, the one who had apologized at the arena, Dera.